Twelve Years Later
by EvilRegalOncer
Summary: When Glinda is forced to flee Oz, she meets someone she thought was gone forever. :Slight AU, musical-verse but includes Liir:
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Wicked.**

Part One

Glinda

Chapter One

"_Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you...I have been changed for good."_

Those words seemed to echo across twelve years as Glinda stood in front of Kiamo Ko with a heavy heart, staring up at the morose stone castle. The wind whispered mournfully around her, seeming to share the grief that filled her heart at the sight of this place.

"Hi, Elphie," the blonde woman murmured, smiling slightly in spite of the pain. "You didn't think I'd forget, did you? I come every year. It's just that there have been some rebels around, and I've been busy trying to keep them out of the Emerald City. You wouldn't believe how much things have—"

A sharp crack behind her made Glinda spin around, heart thudding with fear. "Who's there?" she demanded sharply, fist clenching in anticipation of an attack.

"Don't have yer guards now, do ya, Miss Glinda?" A face leered out of the darkness at her. It was a wrinkled, sun-worn face with stubble on the chin and a heavy smell of wine. "Yer all alone."

"Alaric," Glinda said coldly, recognizing the rebel. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"We could ask the same of you," said another voice. This one belonged to a younger man with icy green eyes. "What are you doing all the way out by the abandoned castle?"

"That's none of your business, Freidle," she snapped, furtively trying to find an escape route.

"Oh, but it is." The man named Alaric stepped forward, and in his hand glinted a jagged silver knife. Glinda's heart stopped as she saw the blade slowly swing toward her and then back again. "Th' poor Ozians will be heartbroken when they find ye out here," he chuckled. "Miss Glinda shoulda been a bit more careful, aye? Shoulda watched out for bandits."

"No, YOU should have watched out!" Chanting a spell from the Grimmerie, Glinda summoned a flock of ravens to her side. Screeching, the black birds attacked Alaric and Freidle, using their talons and beaks to stab and slash.

Freidle roared and swiped at the birds around his head. Eyes glittering with malice, he dove at Glinda. The blonde sidestepped, but she wasn't quite fast enough and his dagger cut from her shoulder to the middle of her forearm.

A blast of magic emitted from Glinda's body, forcing her attacker back. Sensing the danger, a clump of ravens left Alaric and bombarded Freidle, cawing in a tone that resembled the cries of a group of madmen.

Glinda turned and fled into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Wicked.**

Panting, Glinda collapsed onto the grass under a huge tree. Her arm burned where the dagger had scored. The branch cut on her cheek stung, as did the numerous stone bruises and scrapes on her bare feet from the flight. (Glinda had been forced to abandon her shoes because they slowed her down.)

Every bone in her body ached, her heart was racing and her head felt like someone had whacked it with a hammer. She had to get back...back to theEmeraldCity. But the grass felt so good, and she was so tired...

_A quick nap wouldn't hurt_, Glinda thought sleepily as she laid her head down and closed her eyes, heavy fingers of darkness trailing over her.

"Hey...hey, lady, wake up."

A voice was calling her. Glinda struggled through layers of sleep, fighting to open her eyes.

"Lady, are you okay? You look pretty beat up."

Blinking blearily, Glinda managed to focus her gaze on the speaker. It was a young boy, about eleven or twelve, with light hazel eyes and a mop of chocolate-colored hair. He was wearing the overalls of a farm boy but spoke like an educated citizen. "Where...where am I?" she managed to ask, trying to shake the cobwebs from her brain.

"You're in theBadlands. What are you doing all the way out here? Oz is that way." He pointed in a general northern direction.

"I...I was attacked. I barely got away..." Glinda shuddered as the previous night's events flooded back into her mind.

"That'd explain it. You look pretty awful." The boy rose from his kneeling position and offered her a hand. "C'mon, I'll take you home. You need a doctor—and probably some food, too."

Gratefully, Glinda took his hand and somehow managed to stand up. "Hey, lady, what's your name?" the boy asked as they set off at a slow pace.

"Glinda."

"Huh. That's kind of a pretty name. Well, nice to meet you, Glinda. I'm Liir."

Liir's house was a small but homey cottage that looked perfectly set in the woods. The young boy led her to the couch and sat her down. "Wait here, I'll go get Dad."

In the following silence, Glinda tried, rather unsuccessfully, to get the leaves and mud out of her hair. She was working on a rather stubborn clump of dirt when the back door creaked open and Liir's voice drifted through.

"...needs help, Dad; she's really beat up and seemed scared."

"I'll see what I can do." The second voice was male as well, although deeper and slower. Glinda frowned, unconsciously straightening. That voice...sounded familiar.

Then a man came into the room. When he caught sight of Glinda, he froze, eyes widening in shock. Glinda sucked in her breath, searching his face carefully as she slowly stood up.

Both adults stared at each other for a long, long time until Liir interrupted. "What's going on?" demanded the boy, anxiously looking from one to the other, neither paying him any attention.

Finally the man broke into a smile, although there were traces of apprehension and fear. "Hello, Glinda," he said softly. "It's good to see you again."

"Fiyero!"


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Wicked.**

Glinda ran to her old friend, throwing her arms around his neck. "Fiyero, what—how—? Elphie told me you were dead!"

"I know," he responded quietly, returning her embrace. "It was best for you. We didn't want you to be put in danger."

"Have you been here all this time?"

"Yes, with—" But then Fiyero broke off, withdrawing from Glinda. "It doesn't matter. You're hurt, and I'm sure you're hungry as well. Liir, give her some of the soup that your mother made last night."

"Wait a second!" Liir stepped back, glaring at Fiyero accusingly. "You know her? How? Mom said—"

"Later," Fiyero interrupted, fixing his son with a hard stare. "Do as I say."  
>Reluctantly the young boy obeyed, giving Fiyero a sullen look as he slumped off into the kitchen. Glinda covered her mouth to hide a giggle.<p>

"He's stubborn," Fiyero admitted, shaking his head. "And he sure didn't get it from me."

"Fiyero, what are you doing all the way out here? You didn't have to run. I'd make sure nobody hurt you."

Fiyero had been attacked after nearly killing Glinda in order to let Elphaba escape the guards. It wasn't long after that Elphaba had told Glinda he died.

Which reminded her..."Fiyero, why did Elphie tell me you were dead?" Glinda's voice shook as she recalled the conversation; it had been one of the more painful ones and also their last.

"I..." Fiyero exhaled, shaking his head. "It's a long story, and I promise I'll explain later." He looked like he was about to say more, but at that moment Liir came back in, handing Glinda a carved wooden bowl. There was a thick red liquid in it, with assorted vegetables scattered throughout. Despite its appearance, the stew wasn't half bad, and after a tentative first sample Glinda ate ravenously, devouring it like a starved wolf.

Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde woman saw Fiyero mutter something to Liir. The boy gave him a perplexed look but didn't say anything, turning and trotting up the stairs.

When the bowl was thoroughly emptied, Glinda set it down and leaned back, feeing better than she had in quite some time. "Thank you, Fiyero." She offered him a grateful smile, but to her surprise, he looked worried and shook his head.

"Don't thank me just yet," he murmured, glancing anxiously at the staircase.

Puzzled, Glinda was about to demand an explanation when the sound of footsteps distracted her. As she turned to look, a woman came into view. She had long black hair, soft dark eyes and the aura of a sorceress. "Fiyero, what's going on? Liir told me—" But then she stopped dead upon seeing Glinda. The woman's mouth opened, and she looked rather like a fish out of water.

Glinda felt dizzy as she rose, eyes fixed on the woman's face. She knew that face, those eyes better than her own, no matter that the skin had been green the last time she'd seen it. Her lips trembled as she spoke, voice quivering and threatening to break.

"E—Elphaba...?"


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Wicked.**

The woman nodded and smiled faintly. "You look horrible, Glinda. What did they do to you?"

"I...I had to run," she stammered, still reeling from shock. "Rebels are causing trouble...two of them caught me outside of Kiamo Ko."

"Kiamo Ko?" Fiyero echoed with a frown. "What were you doing there?"

"I go every year...to remember you. Both of you." As Glinda spoke, Elphaba winced and Fiyero looked slightly ashamed of himself.

"Fiyero..." Elphaba looked at her husband, her eyes conveying a message, and without a word he rose and left. As Fiyero went through the door, he briefly took Glinda's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Glinda squeezed back, accepting his silent apology. _It's all right. I understand why you left..._

Once he was gone, Elphaba seemed to steel herself before moving to stand in front of Glinda. Shock gave way to anger and joy and old grief, and it all bubbled up inside the blonde, causing her to step back even though all she wanted to was to hug her friend close and never let go again.

"You lied. Why?" Glinda's voice was razor-sharp, making Elphaba flinch.

"I couldn't stay; I told you that. People were coming after me, and everyone I loved was getting hurt. First Doctor Dillamond, then Boq and Nessa...and then Fiyero." Elphaba's voice softened as she recalled the old losses. "I knew if I stayed, something would happen to you. I couldn't live with that, so I disappeared." Abruptly she turned, walking over to the window and staring out with her back to Glinda, rigid as a post.

"But why did you let me believe you were dead? You could have told me; I wouldn't have given you away!"

"You wouldn't have let me go." As Elphaba spoke, it was Glinda's turn to flinch, knowing that her old friend was right. "And you might have tried to slip away to see us. Eventually someone would find out, and they would kill you. I couldn't ever let that happen."

And then Glinda understood that Elphaba had been through just as much as she had; that she too had experienced stabbing guilt and sleepless nights and _if only, if only_ endlessly repeating through her dreams. Her fury evaporated, and she stepped forward and put her arms around Elphaba.

The dark-haired woman was startled at first, but she hesitantly returned the embrace. Her reluctance didn't last long, though, and soon Glinda was crushed against her. When Elphaba finally spoke, her voice was shaking. "I've missed you so much...I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," the blonde woman murmured, hugging her friend tighter. "I'm just happy you're alive." Pulling back, she gave Elphaba a puzzled look. "You're not green anymore!"

"I found a spell in the Grimmerie that did the trick, but it took me nearly five years," responded Elphaba with a grin. Her merriment faded and was replaced with a rather odd look: part amusement, part thoughtful and part sad. "It's ironic that the Wizard couldn't give me what I wanted, but I wouldn't have been able to get it without him either."

"Elphie, I—I'm sorry for not coming with you. Even after I knew that the Wizard was a con, I...I was afraid." Glinda averted her gaze from Elphaba, shame welling inside her. "And you almost died because of me."

"Don't worry. That's all in the past. And to be honest, I'm glad you didn't. I had to go through all sorts of horrible things...you didn't deserve that." Elphaba smiled, but as she looked back at Glinda, her brow furrowed, seeming to notice the dirt and blood for the first time. "What happened?"

"Oh, just a little mishap in the woods. It's not a—" Glinda started to wave it off but stopped as Elphaba clutched her forearms so tightly that she squeaked in pain.

"Glinda." Elphaba's voice was so low that she was almost growling. "Who did this to you?"

Knowing that it was no use lying, Glinda explained about Alaric and Freidle and what was going on in Oz at the moment. "They're not dangerous, at least I didn't think so...oh, come on, Elphie," she said in exasperation as her counterpart looked stricken, "you didn't think that everyone would be happy with the Wizard gone, did you? I've undone all the Animal bans and such, and not everyone likes that."

"They could have killed you."

"So could walking down the stairs, but I do that anyways."

Elphaba's face had softened and was now unreadable as she released Glinda's arms. "Go wash off. You can wear some of my clothes until you go back to Oz."

Grateful that Elphaba was placated (at least for the moment) and eager to get all the muck off of herself, Glinda obeyed and went up the stairs. Before going into the hallway, she stopped and glanced back, her sapphire eyes shining. "Elphaba, it's really good to see you again."

"You too," the sorceress replied with a gentle smile. Her expression changed, however, as the blonde vanished out of sight. It was the old look she used to get whenever there was a battle to be fought; something Glinda would have called her "defying gravity" look.

If those no-good lowlifes thought they could hurt Glinda and get away with it, they were in for a surprise. It was time the Wicked Witch returned to Oz one last time.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Wicked. This one's kind of long, so bear with me.**

"Are you crazy?" Fiyero demanded with a ferocious glare. "Go back to Oz? After everything we've been through?"

"Fiyero, keep your voice down," Elphaba said softly, glancing up the hallway where Liir's room was located. "And I don't mean permanently. Just to help Glinda." When her husband's expression did not change, Elphaba locked gazes with him, willing him to understand what she was saying. "Fiyero, part of the reason I wanted to leave was to keep her safe! These rebels are trouble; if she hadn't had the Grimmerie that night..." She trailed off, clearly unwilling to consider what would have happened to her friend.

Fiyero sighed and some of the tension drained from his body. Gently taking his wife's hand, he pressed his lips against the back of it before looking at her with a gentle sorrow in his eyes. "Fae," he said quietly, using his nickname for her, "even if you do take care of the rebels, there will be other troubles down the road. You can't protect Glinda from everything. This sounds cold, but she'll have to learn to fend for herself. You and I did."

"No." Elphaba's eyes flashed with anger, and she pulled away from Fiyero. "I won't abandon her. I left Nessa and she died. That is a mistake I _will not_ make again. I know I can't always be there, and I don't want to be. I'm not Glinda's bodyguard. But after everything she did for me, I'm not going to throw her to the wolves." Turning, Elphaba strode out the door.

Trembling, Glinda leaned against the wall. She had been on her way downstairs to get another blanket when Elphaba and Fiyero started arguing. What she had heard turned her blood to ice: Elphaba wanted to go back—go back to Oz!—and drive the rebels off.

Elphaba's unfailing loyalty had always been something Glinda admired, but now it was putting her in danger. _I won't lose you again. Not after the first time. I can't live with that._

Something touched her arm. Glinda yelped and turned around only to find Liir crouched beside her. "So you heard it too, huh?" he asked quietly. "Mom and Dad can't go back; they've told me that story a hundred times. Only Mom said you died."

"W—what?" Even in her shock and fear Glinda felt insulted. "Why?"

"Dad said it was because they didn't want me to go looking for you and tell you the truth." Liir shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess. But anyways, if we're gonna leave, we have to do it fast."

"What are you talking about?"

His green eyes met her azure ones. "You're gonna go back to Oz and I'm coming with you. They don't know me. I know how to use a sword; Dad taught me. I can help fight. You know magic, right? With your spells and my blade, we can fight off those rebels."

Glinda gaped at him in utter horror. Had everyone gone mad? "Liir, I can't let you do that! Elphie would kill me! And what if something happened to you? I'd never forgive myself!" Liir opened his mouth to protest, but Glinda cut him off. "Absolutely not! When I go back to Oz, I'm going alone and I'm fighting my battles myself. None of you are coming!"

The sky was still dark with shafts of soft pink peeking through the trees as Glinda crept downstairs, eyes darting around like a cornered wolf. When the floorboards creaked softly under her weight, the blonde woman almost had a heart attack and jumped nearly two feet.

Two days had passed since hearing Elphaba declare her intentions to accompany Glinda back to Oz and Liir asking to go with her. She had shot Liir down and kept a wary eye on Elphaba, but to Glinda's surprise her old friend didn't approach the subject.

But that didn't mean she wasn't planning to do so, which was why Glinda decided on sneaking out like a bandit. If memory served her correctly, Elphaba was an extremely heavy sleeper and couldn't be dragged out of bed with anything less than a scream right into her eardrum. Liir was an uncertain player, as was Fiyero, but upon tiptoeing out of her room Glinda saw that both rooms had their doors closed, which hopefully meant the occupants were still asleep. With any luck she would be halfway back to Oz by the time her disappearance was discovered.

After going a few steps, Glinda turned and looked back at the house. Her heart ached as she realized that this was the last time she and Fiyero and Elphaba would see each other. _At least they're alive_, she comforted herself. _At least Elphaba doesn't feel so guilty anymore and Fiyero knows that I forgive him. _But try as she might, Glinda couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was abandoning them both just as they had done to her twelve years before.

As the blonde set off in her transport bubble, she was very unaware of a shadow creeping down below. Step by step, it followed her through the trees with the stealth of a panther, intending to pursue her all the way to Oz. Only then could its mission be fulfilled.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Wicked. **

Part Two

The Emerald Cityhasn't changed much; I can see that right away. People are still running around bumping into each other, the buildings are just as tall and magnificent and everything is still...well, green. Even in the midst of what's happening, a small joy thrills through my veins as I remember the last time I was here and how happy I'd been when nobody stared at me.

No one had noticed me earlier either. When I discovered Glinda had gone, I was so angry and scared that I couldn't think straight. I scrawled a note to Fiyero telling him I was going to be gone for the day, grabbed my broom and left. I knew she was heading back to Oz, and within half an hour her shiny bubble came into sight. I kept my distance after that, but when she floated over and vanished among the green citadels I had dropped down into a meadow and walked the rest of the way. I was supposed to be dead, but seeing someone flying in on a broom was sure to raise alarm from the people who had experienced my "reign of terror". Admittedly, it had somehow become a sort of trademark of mine, the Witch of the West zooming around on her broom hexing people.

I head for the tower where I know Glinda lives. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do, but I know that those rebels will try to strike again. They'll want to catch her alone, and if they have half a brain between all of them they'll do it at night. I'll have to be on my guard.

The stars are shining overhead and I'm feeling sleepy when suddenly I hear something down below. I jerk awake and move to the roof's edge, clenching the Grimmerie tightly.

"Stupid blonde," mumbles a deep voice. "I dunno how she got away...them darned ravens near pecked my eyes out."

"It doesn't matter," hisses a younger-sounding male. "Kall and Tibbett took care of her guards; they won't be awake until midday at least. We have plenty of time to get in and give the Good Witch what she deserves." The malice in his voice makes my blood boil. "Now come on, Alaric."

Quietly I drop down to the balcony, wincing slightly as my knees crack. _I'm getting too old for this_, I think wryly before moving back into the shadows. I can see the door to Glinda's chambers from here, but they won't have a chance to get near it.

Agonizing minutes pass, and just as I'm about to lose control, the two rebels enter the hallway. As they near the door and the smaller man reaches for the doorknob, I take a deep breath, drop the broom and—

"Leave her alone!" someone yells, and to my absolute horror, Liir comes running in with his sword drawn. He leaps at the slight younger man first, but the bigger one, Alaric, grabs him in his powerful arms.

"Wha's this? A scrawny servant boy runnin' around like he thinks he's a soldier," he jeers. Liir struggles and lashes out, but the man strikes him in the back of the skull and he goes limp, unconscious. "What should I do with him, Freidle?"

"Kill him," the younger man says coldly. "Come in when you're done."

"Get your hands off of my son!" I snarl as I leap out. Alaric drops Liir and turns to face me, but I open the Grimmerie and read out a spell. Nothing happens at first, and I cringe, backing away as Alaric snorts and moves toward me. _Come on, come on..._

And suddenly Chistery, dear Chistery, flies in the window and lands on the big man's head, screeching like a lunatic. As he begins to pull Alaric's hair and lash his face with his tail, I turn around to confront Freidle—and freeze.

The blond man has one arm around Liir's neck and a short dagger pressed to his throat. "Call the beast off or your boy dies."

"Ch—Chistery?" My voice comes out wobbly, but he pauses all the same. "Chistery, stop. Leave Alaric alone." The flying monkey looks at me like I've lost my mind before hopping down and scurrying to my side.

"Now move against the wall and drop that book." He nods to the Grimmerie. I obey, and Alaric moves to take it before going over and picking up Liir's sword.

"Shoulda stayed home tonight, lady," he sneers, and thrusts the blade at me.


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Wicked. **

There is a clang of metal on metal, and suddenly Fiyero is standing in front of me, Liir's sword pressing down on the shaft of a Gale Force spear. "Don't you dare touch my wife," he growls, pushing Alaric back. As they begin to duel, I spin around. _Liir!_

Freidle's eyes shine with fury, and he draws his arm back, preparing to ram the dagger into Liir's throat. Then the door behind him opens and he falls face forward to the ground.

Glinda stands there with her arms still outstretched. She looks ridiculous in her pink nightgown, and I can't help but laugh. My amusement is short-lived, though, as Freidle leaps up and grabs his dagger again.

"Chistery!" As I call his name, the monkey happily leaps onto the rebel's head and starts screeching right in his ear. I grab Glinda (who looks completely shocked) and push her back into her room. "Stay there until it's safe!"

"Elphaba!" she cries, but I'm already off.

Chistery can't last forever. I scramble to recover the Grimmerie, and once I finally do it seems to take an eternity to find the page I need. But finally there it is:**A Spell to Turn to Stone**_._I read it out as fast as I can, and when I look up, Freidle is solid rock.

My triumph, however, is short-lived. Alaric has driven Fiyero back against the wall. He swings with the blade, and although my husband is fast, he doesn't quite miss the whole blow. Alaric's elbow slams into his throat, and he drops to the floor, the spear falling from his grasp.

My heart twists, stops. I hear my own voice echoing back across time: _"Since I could not succeed, Fiyero, saving you..."_ I can't lose him again!

As Alaric howls in success and rears his arm back for the kill, I leap at him, forgoing the Grimmerie and slamming into his side. He's huge, but I still manage to make him stagger. Growling with fury, he whirls and brushes me off. I drop to the floor, winded, and watch as he swings at me. _I'm going to die..._

But then a pair of arms fasten around his neck, and Liir is up and fighting, his heels kicking the giant's ribs. Alaric stumbles back, flailing to try and get him off. As he scrabbles vainly, I leap for the Grimmerie and read out another spell. Alaric begins to turn into a mouse.

"Nooo!" he shouts as he begins to shrink. "Don't!"

"Take me to the rebels and I will." I mutter a word, and the transformation ceases. "Well?"

As I expected, Alaric tries to bolt. I begin reading again, and he starts shrinking.

It takes several episodes of this before Alaric promises to be good and lead me to the rebel base. As Liir holds him firmly by the tail, I go over and gently kneel beside Fiyero. "Yero?"

He stirs weakly at my voice. His eyes slide open, and although his face is slightly bloodied, I can see he's not hurt. "Fae...?"

"Fiyero." I wrap my arms around him and pull him against me, nearly sobbing with relief. "Thank Oz you're all right."

"It'll take a lot more than that to finish me." He kisses me gently, and when I pull away his eyes are sparkling. "What? No scarecrow this time?" We both laugh before I shove him. "What are you doing here?"

"I woke up and learned Glinda was gone. When I saw your note, it wasn't hard to put two and two together." He shrugs unapologetically as I glare at him.

"You almost died."

"So did you." I'm about to reply when he touches a finger to my lips. "Elphaba, I wasn't going to let Glinda get hurt either. I care about her just like you. You can't yell at me for coming when you did the same."

"That's different," I mutter, but I know I've lost the argument. Fiyero smirks before motioning Liir over.

He approaches looking scared. "Dad? Are you okay?"

Fiyero smiles and reaches out to tousle Liir's hair. "I'm fine."

We hug for a while, and when we separate, Fiyero and I both glare at Liir. "How did you get here?"

He smiles sheepishly. "I, uh, slept outside. I knew she'd probably try to sneak off—I mean, she's not gonna tell you she's leaving or else you'd wanna go with her—so I staked out the house. When I saw her leaving, I followed."

"Liir, you are _grounded_!" we both growl.


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Wicked. **

I go over and get Glinda out of her room and explain what happened. After she finishes yelling at us ("I can't believe you could be so stupid! Liir, I _told_ you specifically _not_ to come! And you, Elphaba; you're supposed to be DEAD! Even without the green, I could still recognize you if I look closely!") she hugs all of us so tight we nearly smother.

When we're finally let go, I stand up and take Alaric from Liir. "Fiyero, Liir, stay here with Glinda. Make sure Alaric and Freidle didn't have any friends. I'm going to find the rebels."

"What are you going to do?" Glinda asks, eyeing me with a touch of concern.

I smirk. "Oh, nothing. I won't hurt them...permanently."

* * *

><p>To make a long story short, I terrify the scoundrels out of their wits when I show up on a broom with Chistery in tow, Alaric in my hand and the Grimmerie held in the other. I show them Alaric and tell what I did to Freidle and do a few tricks—turning their table into a pig and chairs into goats—before they promise to behave and leave Glinda alone. I expected more trouble, but on the other hand I'm not complaining. So, that being taken care of, I leave Alaric with them and head back to theEmeraldCity.<p>

* * *

><p>Dawn is just beginning to light the sky when I land back on the balcony. Fiyero, Liir and Glinda are waiting for me. After I explain what happened, there is silence as we sort of stare at one another, and suddenly I realize that when we leave, Fiyero and Liir and I will never see Glinda again.<p>

Glinda thinks of it too, and when she speaks her tone is hesitant, timid. "You could come visit every once in a while. Or you could even come back—I mean, I'm sure nobody remembers you, Fiyero, and Elphie isn't green anymore..."

"We can't," Fiyero says softly, taking her hand. "If people saw us with you, it would raise questions. And some of the guards I ran into on the way here almost recognized me. I was lucky they were given that sleeping draught."

"And if someone saw me using magic..." I let that speak for itself. Everyone knows the only people with strong magic in Oz were me, Glinda and the Wizard (even though his was all a hoax). "It's too dangerous."

"We can't just leave her!" Liir pleads, giving my old friend a hug. "We're all she has!"

"No, Liir." Glinda's voice is soft as she puts an arm around him, holds him for a heartbeat and then gently pushes him away. "Elphie and Fiyero are right. They can't stay."

"Come with us," I urge, grabbing her free hand. "There's nothing for you here. You're not happy, are you?"

"Well, it's what I always dreamed of. And they need a leader."

"You didn't answer my question." I look her in the eye, and as I knew she would, Glinda slowly shakes her head.

"I haven't been happy for twelve years," she admits softly.

"You're too smart to lie to yourself like this." Fiyero squeezes her hand. "Back in Shiz maybe, but not now. You're not happy and you know it. Why stay?"

Glinda doesn't answer, but I see it in her eyes. "You're afraid. Glinda, don't be. The last time you were afraid, I became wicked, remember?" She flinches, and I feel badly for bringing that up, but I know she feels even worse for abandoning me. "Please." I hesitate, wary of opening myself up, and then take the plunge. "Don't leave me again, Glinda."

Her arms come around me and she hugs me tight. I embrace her back, and then Fiyero pulls Liir close to him before slinging his other arm around both of us. We stand like that for a long time, and even as I feel Glinda trembling against me, I know what decision she'll make.


End file.
